Computers at work, tablets at bedtime: how 61m Russians use the net

The internet is rapidly becoming a central feature in Russian life. 55% of the adult population, and that is likely to rise to 75% within 10 years. This infographic (click to enlarge) from “Russia in Figures”, a soon-to-be-published collection of enlightening infographics covering all aspects of Russian life, graphically displays how Russia’s 61 million net surfers use the web.

The data, which is based on survey results from the Public Opinion Foundation and stats from Yandex, TNS Russia and Kommersant, reveal that for 75% of Russian web users the internet is part of daily life, and over 50% use it for more than an hour on work days. Around half are content with their internet usage, but 36% reckon that they use the web “a lot”.

The stats also show that computers are used more at work than an home - with peak usage in the middle of the afternoon, while tablet usage peaks between ten o’clock and midnight, suggesting that Russians like to take their tablets to bed with them.

The infographic makes particularly clear the contrast between Moscow and smaller cities and towns. The internet is a key tool in Muscovites battle against traffic - with 80% using maps and traffic monitoring services. E-commerce is also more widespread in the capital, with 70% using online retailers, while Moscow residents are also more likely to get their news online. However, search and social networks are equally popular across the country.

Yandex, Mail.ru and VK.com are the ‘big three’ internet companies, each receiving more than 20 million daily visitors. Google gets just 13 million, while Facebook’s daily audience is a little under 4 million, which is 200,000 more than Wikipedia.

Russians particularly value the internet as a news source and a communication tool. However - there are costs, and a quarter indicated that the net eats into their free time.